Tech

Safety agency investigates the hoverboard fires, injuries on holiday

The top most selling gadget of the year, hoverboards are now under investigation by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The reason is the fire accidents caused due its battery charging.

According to CNBC, on Monday, a group claimed to inquire the 22 reports of hoverboard fire accidents, which came into hearing from at least 17 states. The fire accident cases occurred due to the combustible batteries, which have  now raised the most concern. This month, hoverboards have been banned from carry-on and checked baggage by Alaska Air, United Airlines, Delta and American.

Amazon.com has also omitted some hoverboards from its sale listing. It has also advised the consumers to throw away the hoverboards with safety issues.

An incident of a hoverboard catching fire occurred on Monday, at the Deerbrook Mall in Texas. According to an NBC affiliate in Houston, the fire was under controlled and extinguished before the fire department arrived. Officials also mentioned that the mall was not officially vacated and no one was injured.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission also revealed that by Monday afternoon, around 70 reports emergency room visits were received due to hoverboards accidents. The major injuries were due to falls and collisions, as mentioned by Local SYR.

One case was received due to smoke inhalation from a hoverboard fire and other case came, whose finger got stuck in a wheel.

Many of the falls were also shared on social media. The most used hashtag over the weekend on Twitter and Instagram was #hoverboardfail. And many posts related to documenting spills, collisions, and crashes due to hoverboards were also revealed. The kids were anticipated to be the victim of  new hoverboards on Christmas morning, but parents were the ones mostly injured.

CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye said in a statement, "While the fire hazard has generated significant attention, I do not want to downplay the fall hazard,"

He added, "I am also concerned that there is no safety standard in place for hoverboards. Strong safety standards protect consumers."

WVVA reports that if you plan to purchase a hoverboard, there are some recommendations issued by the  U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Avoid buying a product if proper information about the seller and emergency contact is not given. Do not charge the hoverboard without your supervision.

Furthermore, do not charge instantly after riding as let the device cool for an hour first. And wear a safety gear while riding a hoverboard.

The safety standards have been revealed to avoid further potential accidents. As the reports are received, the organization will continue to investigate more.


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